Amid heightened tensions, protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) erupted across Assam, marked by the burning of effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, along with copies of the controversial law. The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) led demonstrations in Lakhimpur, torching effigies of the prime minister and home minister, while Congress members staged symbolic burnings of the law in various parts of the district. Leader of the Opposition in the Assam assembly, Debabrata Saikia, spearheaded a protest at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati, where copies of the Act were set ablaze. Concurrently, the CPI(M) organized protests in several locations, and students from various colleges rallied against the Act outside their institutions.
In Sivasagar district, Raijor Dal activists, along with representatives from Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti and the Chatra Mukti Parishad, joined MLA Akhil Gogoi in denouncing the contentious law. The 12-hour ‘Sarbatamak Hartal’, called by the United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA), saw limited participation, with some districts witnessing closures of shops and business establishments, including in Sivasagar, Golaghat, Nagaon, and Kamrup. However, the Assam Police issued notices to opposition parties, urging them to withdraw the hartal, warning of legal repercussions otherwise.
Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia criticized the move, accusing the state police of bias towards the BJP government. Despite these challenges, protests continued peacefully, with the Congress reiterating its commitment to nonviolent resistance against the Act. To maintain order, the Sonitpur district administration imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, restricting public gatherings and sloganeering. Security measures were heightened across the state, with additional police deployment and increased patrolling in sensitive areas.
